Broken Smiles
by ComicNerdLovesComics
Summary: Things aren't always what they seem.


**(A/N): This might be a little depressing and I'm sorry. Nightmare is owned by meh. And I don't know if I told y'all or not but Ame is pronounced like Amy.**

Ame is one of the sweetest, funniest, nerdiest person you'll ever meet. She makes corny jokes with Wally and bakes cookies with M'gann. She does girl talk with Artemis and Sia. She likes to hack cameras with Robin and use Superboy as a punching bag when she's mad. And she hopelessly drools over Kaldur. She enjoys drawing and of course singing. When she cares for something she uses her whole heart. She always has a smile on her face.

But even the brightest smiles can dim.

Amethyst has been to about 10 foster homes in her long years in foster care. She's had about 230 interviews to try and get adopted. She's had 32 abusive foster parents. Beaten up 18 times in the group homes. Has been persuaded to drink or smoke 27 times at school and foster care. Foster parents or other foster kids had attempted to rape her 17 times. She ran away 15 times. She has prayed a million times for her parents return. She tried to kill herself 12 times.

There is a difference. Ame is the mask that she wears to hide Amethyst. Ame is perfect and happy and Amethyst is depressed and suicidal.

* * *

"Ame!" Sia snatched her galaxy headphones, "We have a mission. Suit up."

"His name is Nightmare." Batman explained to the team, "Whatever you do don't shake his hand. It could kill you. He sees your deepest darkest desires and when you get it, you're on your way to heaven or hell."

"Ok, so put the collar on him and avoid the hands, got it." Wally said.

Sia quirked her eyebrows, "You get that Ame?"

Ame moved a headphone from her ear, "Huh, oh, yea. I got it…I think."

* * *

The fight was intense. The goons were bigger than the Shadows and the team really needed more muscles. The fight took place in an abandoned warehouse. Nightmare was trying to steal some chemicals for Bane's cobra venom. He was a powerful villain. He looked as if a snake and the genie had a baby and it was ugly. His nose looked as if Superman hit him too hard, like a boxer's nose. He wore no clothes, for he seemed to be made of a sea-foam green smoke. With his tall, lanky figure, he could easily slither through the team's legs. As he did, he read their minds.

"Oh, want Mommy and Daddy back, do we?", he cooed to Robin, "Old Bats isn't showing you love? What do you expect from the Dark Knight?"

Robin threw a bird-a-rang at the cloud but it only fazed through him as he went on to the next victim.

"Don't fight me little Missy," Nightmare tickled Miss Martian's green chin, "You wanna-"

When he was busy talking, Artemis kicked him with a powerful blow to his face and sent him to the ground. Sia noticed the opportunity to tie him down and put a thick layer of ice on him. He faded threw and slithered to Ame, who was helping Aqualad who had fallen in the fight.

"Hello, my pretty. You want to find Mamma and Papa but you can't with all these demons you're fighting.", he held out a slim hand, "I can help you find them."

The team ran to her, "Ame don't!" but it was too late.

She signed the contract with the devil.

"Whoa." She scanned the bright place.

Her mind was shockingly the color of a heavenly mixture of yellow and white with a golden glow. There was a road that you could barely see because of the lighting that led to Nightmare. He didn't say a word, only taking her hand and showing her a video-or was it a memory? A giant woman appeared, with long rainbow hair, with a small man with short, spikey black hair. Their faces could not be seen, for the image was too bright. Her words could not be understood. Ame looked at Nightmare as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. As she looked back, she saw the image clear…but then it started to fade.

Ame woke with a scream and held her head. She saw her friends surrounding her and Nightmare on the floor. Her eyes started to water, " _Why did you do that?!"_

Wally, who was standing, put his hands on his hips, "What? Oh, you mean save you? You're welcome by the way."

"No! Why did you do that!?"

"Ame, he would've killed you if M'gann didn't get you out." Robin explained, rubbing her shoulder.

"Then you should have let me die!" she yelled to the team's shock, "I was so close to finding them! To finding out who they are and why I'm here!"

Aqualad joined the group, for he was putting the collar on Nightmare when Ame awakened, "You're telling us that you wanted to die? M'gann saved you."

"I didn't _want_ to be saved!" Ame cried as her hair went flat and turned blue.

"So you wanted to die?" Sia asked, not believing her sister's words.

" _Yes!_ "she threw her hands out, "I don't want to be here! I want my parents and love! I want the love I never got as a kid and it's not here! He was my one ticket to happiness, to finding them, and you took him away! Don't you want me to be happy? I would be happier _dead_!"

The team sat in silence as the girl cried.

Connor sat next to her,"Ame-"

"NO! My name is Amethyst. Or do you want me to change it to Ame, the happy girl who hides her pain behind a goofy smile."she stared them down, "Amethyst is sad and Ame is just a mask. Pick one, which do you want me to be? I can only be one."

"Ame-Amethsyt, does it matter? We just want you to be happy." Artemis said.

"How! I'm all alone."

"You're not alone, we are here for you. We will always be here for you Ame. That's what friends are for. I lost my parents but that just made me stronger." Robin moved her limp hair from her soaked face.

"That's what makes all of us stronger. Come on Ame. I'l make you cookies." M'gann got up and handed her hand out for Ame to grab, "And I'll try not to burn them."

And for once, Amethyst smiled, a real smile.


End file.
